Saving Never
by QuickSilver Knight
Summary: Not all fairy tales are nice at the real core of them. What if you had a chance to change it all, to save it all, would you take the risk and the chance?


Disclaimer: BTVS isn't mine. Neither is the books/movies I used in this crossover.

I just had to write this. I'm alive, just not doing to good at it.

"I tried to save him you know."

At her wondering glance he continued. "When I offered her to be as my daughter, to be as my heir. The ship must have a Captain. But the Captain has NEVER been a girl. I thought it would end this cursed existence. But she turned me away, in the end it was all for naught!" Snarling, he lashed out at the rail on the side of the deck.

Slowly, quietly, he continued "I'm getting older, you know. It's all a lie. It has always been a lie. As the days go by, when I supposedly am not to age, I find myself slowly, ever so slowly, aging still." His voice trailed off quietly, much like the waves in the distance.

The stood there quietly, companions in pain for a long moment.

"Have you told him yet?"

"No".

"Ahhh… why is that, I wonder. Do you love him more, or just liked me less?"

"It was not that way! You know that… I had no choice… I have no choice. But…."

"I know, my dear, I know." He chuckled lowly; mercilessly. "But the Ship must have its Captain. And it's crew as well."

"Yes." The single word fell like a dark shroud.

"How much time is left? Do you wonder? Do you know?" He finally asked her.

"No. I don't know. Yes. I do wonder. And I dread the day."

"Ahhhh….. But I don't."

She looked at him in silent wonder for a moment. Then, taking in the pain in his face, and the obvious pain that his time wracked body held, she wondered no more. He was tired. Truly tired. He had finally gone to the point where the game was no longer fun at all. She wondered for a moment how much of the past he truly remembered.

"It's been a good ship, these many years." Softly he brushed his good hand across the rail, as if to wipe away some errant dust. "Do you think he'll rename it?"

"Yes. No.- I don't know. After HER, I suppose!"

"Ah, ah, ah…" He chided gently. "No bitterness there, is there?"

She merely glared at him from the corner of her eyes, not even condescending to turn towards him and glare properly.

"Well, I did rename her from being the 'Sea Witch' " he replied musingly.

"The Ship is always renamed." She finally replied quietly. "Always; yet ever the same Ship nonetheless."

"Ahhh… Tradition then. Good form that."

Again, she glared at him for a moment. Then, slowly her stern visage drained. His memory was going. He was so very old, and had held on for so very long. "I…I'm… I'm sorry."

"Are you saying that to me, or about Him?" he asked quietly.

"Yes."

"Ahhh"

Again their voices tapered off, as they stood there for a moment, quietly staring out at the sea.

Very quietly, as if dreading the answer she asked "So, no where do we go from here?"

Drawing himself up, he looked about for a moment. "I… I go back to attending to my duties and my ship. And you…" His voice trailed off for a moment, gazing at her in an entirely to rapt a look. "You go back to your duties as well. Training my replacement."

He watched as she winced slightly. His words were bitter and as sharp as fresh wine.

"For what it is worth: I AM sorry. For what is worth, I did love you so."

"I know dear one, I know. But we all have a part to play in this story. And mine and his roles, are due to change soon."

Crying softly, she took to the air. One last look around her before she flew off: At the man a bonny boy had become. At the Ship whose very existence she had come to loath, yet was so very vital in these lands. The Ship that had eaten up so many of her loves, and soon would feast again.

**SCENE BREAK**

"No, keep the blindfold on now. No cheating."

She laughed. It was an old game for the two of them, from when they were little kids. Before their mothers became the harridans that they had become, and they were actually able to be kids and not ''proper little people' pulled out to perform in front of the guests, or act as bartenders.

Suddenly, the sensation of moving stopped and she felt him setting her down onto some soft grass.

"Where are we?"

"Someplace that only exists because it wants too. Because it has to." He answered solemnly.

She turned and looked at him startled. Slowly, she turned around in a circle. They were on top of a small flat hilltop, and she could make out some minor lighting in the distance, but nothing at all like the city or suburban back glow that should be present around them.

"Where ARE we?"

"Where we need to be. Please, just trust me. "

From the shadows strode tall, slender old man accompanied by a shorter, stouter man. As they drew closer she realized they were wearing antiquated clothes almost like pirate or steam-punk dress.

"Hello Boy."

"Hello James." He answered in greeting. "I got here as fast as I could."

"Cut it a little close didn't you boy?"

"Held on this long didn't you old man?"

"Ha! Too true, too true. Needs must, and all that rot."

"Yep."

"Is that her? The one who can break this wretched curse?"

'She' puffed up in annoyance even as his voice took on a small laughing quality. "Yes, James. I do believe so."

"You believe?" The old man asked querulously.

"Yes, I do believe. And so should you. We're out of time."

"Ahh… yes. Time. My old foe, come back to haunt me. Time is as it is, try what we may."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" She asked imperiously.

"Time… Is flexible here." The old man answered her with a death's head grin. "Sometimes it's flexible, sometimes it's fluid. Occasionally it's downright gaseous." He finished with a barking laugh.

"What do you mean by that?"

"For some, a day here is a year out in the 'real' world. For others, a year here is a day there. It all depends."

"Depends on what?"

"Whatever the Land needs."

"You're talking like the land is alive."

"And you're talking like it isn't…"

She had no reply to that as the old man suddenly whirled away from them and beckoned the shorter man forward. He held a long slender case in his hands as he approached her and then held the case out towards her as he got within arm's reach. "Bartholomew Quigley Smeethington," he stated lowly, yet proudly. "At your service, milady."

**SCENE BREAK**

"I'm WHAT?" Her voice rose more than a bit shrilly.

"You're the Captain. Of the Ship. Yes, that's with a capitol "S'."

"Look, I've always wanted to be a Pirate but this is crazy… "

"And you are. You're the Pirate Captain, The Pirate Queen."

"And the Old man? Who IS he?"

"He's retiring. Honestly? I don't think he has much time left at all. And James B. Hook deserves a little time to just himself after all these years."

"What about the crew of this ship? They just gonna accept me?"

"Oh, no, we'll have to get started on a new crew, but we'll manage, and we'll have some help 'recruiting'. They'll pretty much come to you."

"I don't know anything about being a Captain! I don't know how to run a ship."

"You will. The knowledge will come to you as you go. And you'll have me here to guide you, if you want me to anyways."

"What? You're like a fairy godfather now?"

"No, more like a member of your crew, if you'll have me. It's not like I have anything to go back to in my so-called home either.

*Sigh*." But… But… " *Sigh.* She trailed off and looked into his eyes trying to figure out exactly what she had gotten herself into. "Wait a minute… you said: James…B… HOOK?!"

"Uhmm… yeah. What were you expecting? Welcome to Neverland."

Silence pervaded the glade for a moment

"You mean to tell me that we're in Neverland and I'm now the Captain of the 'Jolly Roger'?"

"No. We're in Neverland, and you're the Captain of The Ship. The name of The Ship is up to you."

"Huh? You wanna un-vague that a bit?"

"Mr. Barrie only got a sanitized version of the real story from a wandering member of the Seelie Court. The Ship exists. It has always existed. It always will. There's dichotomy in everything. Even in this. Maybe especially in this."

"Huh? Now you're making even less sense."

"Okay. Everything in, over, and under the world has its opposite. Good and Bad. Male and Female. Night and Day. Everything. Neverland has the Ship with its Captain, and The Land with its Pan. Pan: The youth, the new and young blood. The Captain: The old guard, resisting the change, yet it will pass."

"What? You mean kinda like that whole Father Time and Baby New-Year crap?"

"You're more right than you know."

"Huh? What do ya mean?"

"It's like this: The Ship endures. It must have a Captain. Against the Ship and Captain are The Land and The Pan. Contrary to popular belief, time does pass here. Well, for some anyways. "

She didn't really have a reply to that.

"Where do you think The Captain comes from?" He asked suddenly.

"Huh? I don't know. You said there's always a Captain."

"There is. But that doesn't mean the captain is always the same man."

"Huh. Okay, well I guess that means… "Her voice trailed off as she suddenly thought of just where the Captain could come from.

At the look of horror on her face he smiled grimly. "Yep. We ARE where you think we are. The Pan becomes the Captain when he finally vanquishes him."

"And… and the Lost Boys?" She asked, almost but not quite sure she really didn't want to know.

"Where do you think The Captain gets his Crew?" He asked her without a shred of humor in his voice.

"But... But what about The Land? You said it needs a Pan! How can there be a Pan if he becomes the Captain?"

"It does need a Pan. While the now 'old' Pan and Lost Boys quickly age to manhood, a new Pan is found. And after the Pan is found, then Lost Boys will slowly arrive. Both sides will have a temporary cease fire while they learn their new roles. The Pan won't age. The Captain will slowly age. Usually."

"I'm tired of saying huh, so: What?"

"The Pan will only sorta age till he hits just about thirteen or so. Puberty. Enough to be 'sexual' without really becoming a man about it. The Captain WILL age. Depending on the individual, some age faster than others. The basic rule is that the Pan and the Captain MUST oppose each other. The Captain knows why… The Pan doesn't. Well, not 'till his victory means becoming that which he has been fighting the whole time. "

"That's… That's monstrous!"

He continued as if she hadn't said a word "The Captain can 'reset' his age clock by killing The Pan. But every time he does so, the amount he de-ages lessens. Eventually he WILL grow old, whether or not he wishes it. Some of the old captains fought tooth and nail trying to stay young. Knowing that yet another Pan would be called and soon enough he'd have to fight again. And again. And again."

"They're both victims."

"Yes, they are."

"So… If Pan defeats the Captain, he becomes the Captain, and the Lost Boys become Pirates."

"Vanquish or Kills." He replied grimly. "Not just defeat. Thing is, The Captain must oppose The Pan. There's nothing that says he has to do it effectively. Mind you, some have. Some have killed The Pan at every opportunity. Trying to stay as young as possible and hating their replacement for being what they no longer could be. Others effectively 'suicide by Pan' in their depression over what they have lost, 'missing' a block and letting themselves be killed and replaced rather than grow old, condemning the new Pan almost as soon as they are made."

She shuddered in horror at the images running thru her head. "A.. a.. and Tinkerbelle?" She asked in a small voice. She was quite certain she didn't want to know, but asked the question anyways.

"Just as much the victim as the Captain and the Pan." He answered. Before she could even ask for an explanation he continued. "A new Belle is called for each 'set'. When the Captain kills a Pan and restarts a bit younger, a new belle goes in search of the new Pan. When a Pan finally manages to kill the captain, the same Belle, his Belle, must go in search of his replacement. When a new Belle steps in, she doesn't have a clue as to the truth of the matter. The Belle of the 'winning' Pan has to find a new Pan, and does this knowing what the consequences are, all while forbidden to tell the new Pan of his true eventual fate. James held out as long as he possibly could. Going through the motions of 'opposing' Peter until a solution could be found." His voice trailed off as he looked her directly in the eye. "You."

Again she shuddered and looked at him wildly. "Me? What about me? What happens to ME!?" Her voice had climbed and become shrill.

"You're the Deal-Breaker"

"Huh? What? Huh?"

"You have vanquished The Captain in a duel for the captaincy, and been declared the victor by The Captain. You're a female (obviously) and not The Pan or a Lost Boy. You are the Breaker-of-Rules, the wild card that will break this chain of misery. You'll stay the Pirate Queen, on The Ship of your Naming, and never grow any older than you yourself wish to. The same for your new crew as you gain them."

"But how? I mean, can how can I break the rule?"

"Because you're a girl. Remember what I said about everything having its opposite? You, as a girl, balance the scales versus Pan, the boy. What has been bouncing unevenly is now balanced, what was unequal is now correct."

"What about Tinkerbelle? And you? How did you get into this? How did you get me into this?"

"The answer to your last two questions is in your first question: Tinkerbelle IS the answer. There finally came a Belle who loved her new Pan as much as her Old Pan, if not more so. She refused to let the new suffer the way that the old had, when she knew not what she did. It dawned on her that while she was forbidden to tell Pan or any new Lost Boy what was happening, she was not forbidden to tell someone who wasn't. She just needed to find a boy who could not be a Lost Boy and who could be trusted to help her find a Girl Captain in order to break the Rule."

"So she found you…" Her voice trailed off and she looked at him questionably.

*Sigh* He looked down at the deck of the Ship for a moment before raising his eyes to meet hers. "She needed to find a boy who wasn't. She needed to find a boy who was still a Boy and yet not a boy, nor a Man. A boy in mind and deed yet utterly devoted as a man towards a girl who could be Captain."

"You… you're in love with me?"

"Of course I am My Captain. I've watched how our oh-so-wonderful mothers tried to fight their age, shirk their responsibilities and belittle us. How yours lied about her real age to the waiters at the country club and dyed her hair while mine went on dates with Jack Daniels in denial. I remember us playing 'Pirates' as little kids. Do you really think I could let you grow old and unhappy like them if there was any way I could save you?" He hung his head again, his eyes filling with tears. "I've been in touch via letters with James thru Tink for a couple years now. Learning, studying, making sure it could and would work. Pushing you to learn how to Fence even."

She stuttered for a moment trying to come up with a reply as he looked up at her again. This time tears were slowly making their ways down his cheeks. At her wide eyed look and flabbergasted expression he sighed again and finally squared his shoulders. "I did what I did, for you. It's always been you for me. If you hate me, I will go away. But if I had to do it all over again I wouldn't change a thing."

She shuddered for a moment and then threw herself into his arms. "Shut up. Just shut up. You're not going anywhere. Never again. Not without me anyways."

Their voices trailed off after a few minutes, in the way that it happens with young lovers who have just discovered that what they were looking for was in front of them the whole time they were looking.

As they slowly made their way towards the edge of the hilltop he grinned a little grin. "So, I guess I can be the First Mate, Captain?"

"Oh, no, she replied," with a grin in her voice. "You're my Cabin Boy".

Laughter echoed across the Land from the pair as Tinkerbelle silently flew away from saying goodbye to her old love and towards holding on to her new one for a Fairy's age.

Xan and Will went down the hill, Hook and Smee came after.


End file.
